[Note: Helicobacter pylori is the most common human bacterial infection. According to the Helicobacter Foundation, people carrying it always have some stomach inflammation and it can increase permeability of the stomach lining (it is responsible for most ulcers). Discovered in the early 1980s, H pylori's effects are still incompletely understood.]

Inflammation is an important mediator of increased sympathetic nervous system activity and may lead to pain in fibromyalgia patients.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the HP seropositivity in fibromyalgia patients compared with controls for possible role of HP infection in FM.

Sixty-seven patients with fibromyalgia were evaluated. Two of them were excluded from the study because of high level of acute phase reactants. Sixty-five female patients with fibromyalgia and 41 randomly selected age-matched female healthy controls were enrolled to study.

Seropositivity of HP IgG antibody in the fibromyalgia patients was significantly higher than in the control group. No statistically significant differences were found regarding the clinical features between fibromyalgia patients with HP IgG antibody and patients without IgG antibody.

Our study suggests that former HP infection may have a role in the etiopathogenesis of fibromyalgia syndrome or may act as a triggering factor.

However, high seroprevalence of HP in general population and prevalent asymptomatic infection make it difficult to interpret these results for the definite role of HP in FM.

Highlighting the pathophysiologic mechanisms of FM will result in more effective treatment regimens.

I think many cases of FMS as well as ME/CFS are caused by intractable persistent infection. The agent may vary. In some people the immune system will not give up its attack on the infectious agent, causing a range of immune reactions on the gastrointestinal and nervous systems. For many people the immune system settles down and the infectious agent co-exists with the host.
People with ME/CFS and FMS and MCS are the unfortunate people with immune systems that will not give up the fight.
Remove the infectious agent and if it is the only one causing the tirade the patient will have relief from their ME/CFS, FMS or MCS. It could be HHVx, XMRV, CMV or bacterial agents such as mycobacteria, and now we see H Pylori is one them too. Tha is to be expected because H Pylori is a pandemic persistent infection.
Unfortunately for many people I doubt H. Pylori is the only persistent infection causing them a problem.

I am really sorry to say this but articles like these really make me cross!
I have been saying for the last 7 years that Fibro/ME etc., is caused by multiple infections in the body. One infection triggers it off and the others follow due to a poor immune system.
The inflammation from the infections cause the pain, and so the cycle begins! Why else would antibiotics help!
If consultants would listen to what the patients are saying instead of looking at text books,facts and figures and articles, I am sure a cure for this illness and other illnesses, would have been found long ago. Instead of which, the consultants act like God and think they know it all. How can they when they are not the person who is suffering from the illnesses and if they dont listen then how will they solve them!

a friend of mine suffered for years with ulcers and was treated with long term antibiotics but also consumed large amounts of water daily which he rarely did before. was it really the antibiotics or was it really the water that cured his label called disease that was actually really 'chronic umintentional dehydration'. read the www.watercure.com protocol and www.watercure2.org and then you will realize that the iranian doctor cured while in iran prison over 3,000 inmates with a diagnosis of ulcers.he used only water to cure these patients.cfs,fibro,ulcers,m.s. are just named labels no different than the labels of ketchup,mayo in your refrigerator. name labels....it would be nice if an ulcer type bacteria was responsible for fibro as water has the potential of elimination.drink water/celtic sea salt and avoid those other useless table salts and false claims of sea salt. remember if it is pure white it is of no benifit. buy the real 90+ mineral/vitamin one...god bless/merry xmas and health in 2011...